Naturhistorisk tegning 1844 - 1910

Carl Christian Larsen Cordts made this natural history drawing with pencil and lithography. The ordered display and the highly descriptive caption situate this image within the late 19th century Danish culture of scientific exploration and documentation. Made at a time of emerging national museums and universities, the image reflects Denmark's investment in cataloging its natural resources. Cordts’s lithograph contributes to the broader European project of classifying the natural world for scientific study and colonial exploitation. The meticulous rendering of each brachiopod fossil and the inclusion of precise measurements testify to a commitment to objectivity and empirical observation, values that were highly prized in scientific circles at the time. The image reinforces the authority of scientific institutions and experts in shaping our understanding of the natural world. It also raises questions about the relationship between scientific knowledge, national identity, and the exploitation of natural resources in 19th-century Denmark. By consulting museum archives, scientific publications, and historical records, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social and institutional contexts that shaped this work.